BJD, BRS, Akali Dal to abstain from today’s Vice-Presidential election

Forward of the Vice-Presidential election scheduled for Tuesday (September 9, 2025), three events — the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) of Odisha, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) of Punjab, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of Telangana — have declared their intent to abstain from the polls. Their declaration, although, makes little distinction to the ballot arithmetic, with the nominee of the BJP-led Nationwide Democratic Alliance (NDA), C.P. Radhakrishnan, headed for a cushty victory.

Each the NDA and Opposition events are pulling all stops to make sure most attendance of all their members. The 2 sides held a gathering on the eve of the polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the NDA meet, after which Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju mentioned all its MPs can be current for the Tuesday’s (September 9, 2025) ballot. “It was an excellent assembly. All MPs of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha met collectively, and PM Modi additionally guided them,” he mentioned. Mr. Modi, he mentioned, expressed his happiness that necessary Payments have been handed in Parliament lately, and urged the NDA parliamentarians to unfold the message to folks.

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Akali Dal’s grouse

The BJD, SAD, and the BRS have 12 seats in each Homes put collectively. Whereas the BJD and the BRS have explicitly mentioned they’ll “abstain”, the SAD mentioned it’ll boycott the election, accusing the AAP-run State authorities, the BJP-led Centre and the lead Opposition occasion Congress of not serving to the State through the unprecedented floods. Former Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal is the Akali Dal’s sole member of Parliament and represents the Bathinda Lok Sabha constituency.

Each the BJD and the BRS mentioned they’re neither with the ruling NDA nor with the Opposition INDIA bloc. “The BJD stays equidistant from each the NDA and INDIA. We’re centered on the event and welfare of Odisha and its 4.5 crore folks,” BJD chief Sasmit Patra mentioned. Talking on related traces, BRS working president Ok.T. Rama Rao mentioned: “The BRS is a very impartial occasion. We now have no bosses in Delhi. Telangana persons are our solely bosses.”

Additionally Learn | NDA, INDIA blocs to coach MPs on voting process for Vice-President election

Vote statistics

If all of the MPs who kind the voters for the Vice-Presidential election have been to solid their votes in Tuesday’s election, then the NDA stands at 432 and the joint Opposition bloc at 324, a distinction of 115 votes. If the margin is maintained on this vary, then it is going to be the narrowest margin for any Vice-Presidential candidate since 2014. Within the 2022 ballot, NDA nominee Jagdeep Dhankhar received by a margin of 346 votes, and in 2017, Venkaiah Naidu received by 272 votes.

To current a united entrance, the Opposition held a gathering on the central corridor of Samvidhan Sadan (outdated Parliament Constructing), the place the members have been briefed on the election course of, notably the proper methodology to mark their alternative. This temporary coaching was given as a result of within the 2022 election, 15 votes have been invalidated. As per posters put up by the Rajya Sabha secretariat on the ballot venue, the MPs are to place no 1 within the column “order of desire” in opposition to the candidate of their alternative. A tick mark or cross mark would invalidate the vote. Any writing, like identify or signature or some other phrase would additionally result in rejection of the vote. These particulars have been reiterated by Congress’s senior chief Jairam Ramesh on the assembly.

Additionally Learn | PM Modi to solid first vote in vice-presidential election

‘Ideological battle’

Describing the Vice-Presidential election as an ideological battle, Samajwadi Celebration chief Ram Gopal Yadav underscored the significance of contesting the election, regardless of not having the required numbers to mount a reputable problem to the NDA nominee.

The MPs are usually not certain by occasion whips to vote within the election, which takes place beneath a secret poll system. This has posed a problem for the Opposition. All eyes can be on the Shiv Sena (UBT) which has 9 MPs within the Lok Sabha. “There’s a robust hypothesis that not less than half of the Shiv Sena (UBT) might cross-vote,” a senior Opposition chief mentioned.

Among the many leaders who attended the assembly on the Samvidhan Sadan have been Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Celebration chief Sonia Gandhi, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and DMK chief T.R. Baalu.

The NDA additionally held a gathering of their MPs to temporary them on the election course of. The members additionally participated in a mock ballot.

(With inputs from Vikas Vasudeva)

Revealed – September 08, 2025 11:02 pm IST